Random-lighting publicity or game apparatus

ABSTRACT

This publicity or game apparatus adapted to illuminate a series of tell-tales on surface portions of a screen, said combination being constantly randomly modified at a very fast rate during the periods of operation of the apparatus which are released for example by the insertion of a suitable card between a light source and photoresistor, whereby the final combination of illuminated tell-tales obtained when the apparatus becomes inoperative after a time delay constitutes an unforeseeable result, the apparatus including if desired a loudspeaker responsive to a relaxation oscillator having its output frequency switched at the rate of one of the series of tell-tales of the apparatus through a power amplifier.

United States Patent 1191 Tummescheit i 1 RANDOM-LIGHTING PUBLICITY ORGAME APPARATUS [75] Inventor: I-Ienner Tummescheit, Hamburg,

Germany [73] Assignee: Interbeg AG, Luxembourg,

Luxembourg [22] 7 Filed: Apr. 11, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 242,991

1 1 Oct. 1, 1974 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle AssistantExaminerArnold W. Kramer [5 7 ABSTRACT This publicity or game apparatusadapted to illuminate a series of tell-tales on surface portions of ascreen, said combination being constantly randomly modified at a veryfast rate during the periods of operation of the apparatus which arereleased for example by the insertion of a suitable card between a lightsource and photoresistor, whereby the final combination of illuminatedtell-tales obtained when the: apparatus becomes inoperative after a timedelay constitutes an unforeseeable result, the apparatus including ifdesired a loudspeaker responsive to a relaxation oscillator having itsoutput frequency switched at the rate of one of the series of tell-talesof the apparatus through a power amplifier.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENIEnncn I974 11838.858 I snemor PATENTEU1974 3,838,858

sum NF 2 fin Fig.5

RANDOM-LIGHTING PUBLICITY OR GAME APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates in general to publicity or game apparatusof the type adapted to light up a random combination of lamps. Moreparticularly, this invention relates to an apparatus of the typehereinabove referred to, adapted to light up a random combination oflamps which is constantly modified at a very high rate during a periodof operation started for example by the insertion of a card into theapparatus, whereby the final combination obtained when the apparatus isstopped constitutes an unforeseeable result of chance, somewhat as in alottery.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The apparatus according to this invention ischaracterised essentially in that it comprises a generally boxshapedbody having one face consisting of a screen divided into several seriesof tell-tales or signal lamps of which only one lights up at a time ineach series during the operation of the apparatus, so as to provide avariable combination of data, the tell-tales of each series beingadapted to be lighted up at randomunder the control of electronic meansduring the period of operation of the apparatus which is started forexample by introducing a suitable card into the body of the apparatus.

This random control of the lamps in each series is obtained by using anoise source of erratic frequency, consisting of a Zener diode in theemitter-base circuit of a transistor connected to a monostablemultivibrator in order to deliver constant-width pulses to a divider,then fed to a decoder controlling the switching of the power stagecausing the lighting of the bulbs corresponding to the tell-tales orlamps of the energized series.

The period of operation producing a sequence of changes in the switchingon of the tell-tales is advantageously started by introducing a cardintersecting a light beam illuminating a photoresistor in a controlcircuit of a delay-action relay, whereby this relay will close thecircuits controlling the series of lamps and reopen these circuits aftera time period determined by the time constant of the relay, this timeperiod being for example of the order of l to seconds. When the randomcontrol circuit is stopped or re-opened, in each series one lamp remainslighted and the combination of lamps thus obtained is a randomcombination, i.e., obtained by chance.

A loudspeaker controlled by a relaxation oscillator having its outputfrequency adapted to be switched at the rate of a series of lamps may beassociated with the above-described apparatus, this control circuitcomprising preferably a power stage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of theapparatus as seen from the front side;

FIG. 2 is a side-elevational view of the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating diagrammatically the signal lampcontrol circuit, and

FIG. 4 is the diagram of a loudspeaker control circuit associated withthe apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the exemplary form ofembodiment illustrated in the drawing the apparatus according to thisinvention comprises a body 1 having for example substantially the shapeof a sphere from which one cap portion has been removed, adapted to besupported by the floor or by a base member 2, said body 1 havingtherefore a flat face constituting a circular screen 3 divided intothree concentric annular portions 4, 5 and 6 each divided in turn byradii spaced 60 apart into six circular or annular sectors constitutingtell-tales or lamps consisting of translucent portions of materialshaving different colours. Each tell-tale or lamp (of which 18 areprovided in this specific form of embodiment) is illuminated by a bulbdenoted 7, 8 and 9 respectively in FIG. 3 in the case of the threeannular portions 4, 5 and 6, respectively.

In each one of the three series of bulbs 7, 8 and 9 only one bulb islighted at a time, so that at any time a combination of threeilluminated tell-tales pertaining to the three annular portions4, 5 and6 is obtained. In the typ ical example shown herein, which comprisesthree annular portions each divided into six tell-tales, the number ofcombinations thus obtainable is 6 216.

The body 1 has formed therein, in its upper portion and behind thescreen 3, a slot 10 adapted to receive a card 11 (FIG. 3) for producinga sequence of switching actions leading to a novel combination oftell-tales at the end of this sequence, i.e., when the apparatus resumes its inoperative condition while displaying a fixed combination oftell-tales at the end of the switching sequence.

When the card 11 is introduced into the slot 10, it blocks the lightbeam emitted from a light source 12 illuminating a photoresistor 13associated with a control circuit 14 of a time-lag relay 15. This relay15 will thus close the three circuits controlling the bulbs 7, 8 and 9via the movable contacts l6, l7 and 18 which are reopened at the end ofthe operative period of this relay.

Each circuit controlling a series of bulbs 7, 8, 9 comprises a noisegenerator 19 of which the output signal constitutes the random functionof the system. This signal is shaped in a circuit 20 comprising amonostable multivibrator and delivering constant-width pulses fed to adivider 21 for controlling one of the six circuits connected to thedecoders-22 each comprising a power stage adapted to light up one bulbat a time in each series 7, 8 and 9.

During the operative period of relay 15 the switchings take place at avery high rate, thus constantly modifying the combination of illuminatedtell-tales, so that in each one of the three annular portions 4, 5, 6the light appears as jumping continuously from one sector to another,with a continuous change in colour if the tell-tales have differentcolours as assumed hereinabove. When the relay 15 resumes itsinoperative condition the switchings cease and the apparatus displays afixed combination, obtained at random, of three stationary illuminatedtell-tales.

It is obvious that the distribution and the number of the tell-tales ineach series (i.e., in each annular portion in the example illustrated)as well as the number of series of such tell-tales could be changedwithout departing from the scope of the invention.

F IG. 4 illustrates diagrammatically an ancillary sound circuitcomprising a relaxation oscillator 23 having an output frequencyswitched at the rate of one row of bulbs by the six inputs 24. Thisancillary circuit is connected to a loudspeaker 25 via a power amplifier26, whereby the sequence of switchings of the tell-tales will beattended by the emission of sounds, for example in a musical form.

This apparatus may be used for any desired publicity purpose, on accountof its attractive character and of the surprising effects that can beobtained therewith. Moreover, since it produces a final result obtainedonly by chance, it can be used for example for the selective allocationof bonuses or premiums of any desired nature according to thecombination displayed after 21 period of operation.

On the other hand, in comparison with all known lottery and chanceapparatus, the apparatus of this invention is attended by considerableadvantages deriving from its fully automatic and very fast operation,while remaining particularly attractive.

It is clear that the tell-tales, in lieu of displaying simple colouredlights may display figures, characters, symbols or any desiredinscriptions.

Furthermore, the sequences of switchings could be released through meansother than the insertion of a card, as will readily occur to thoseconversant with the art.

What I claim is:

l. Publicity or game apparatus, of the type adapted to display randomcombinations of illuminated telltales on a screen at the end of arelatively short operating time, which comprises essentially a bodyformed with a screen divided into a plurality of translucent surfaceportions each constituting a tell-tale, said tell-tales being groupedinto separate series, light sources disposed under said screen in saidbody and corresponding each to one of said tell-tales, circuit meanscomprising another light source and a photoresistor, control meansadapted to be inserted between said other light source and saidphotoresistor for blocking the light beam emitted by the former towardsthe latter, a relay control circuit responsive to said photoresistorwhen said photoresistor is blocked by said control means. a time-lagrelay actuated by said last-named circuit and comprising a plurality offront contacts each associated with one of a plurality of assemblieseach comprising a noise generator connected to pulse shaping meansadapted to shape the pulses delivered by said generator, whereby saidfront contact can connect its respective pulse shaping means with aseparate divider associated with a corresponding decoder upon actuationof said relay, each decoder controlling the lighting of the respectivelight sources associated with a given series of tell-tales, saidtime-lag relay at the end of its timing interval deactivating said frontcontacts whereby the last illuminated tell-tale in each series remainsilluminated.

2. Publicity or game apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein theswitching sequence applied to said telltales are controlled byintroducing said control means comprising a suitable card into a slotformed in the body of the apparatus so as to block the light beamemitted by said other light source towards said photoresistor.

3. Publicity or game apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein theswitching sequence applied to said tell-.

tales are controlled by inserting said control means consisting of asuitable card into a slot formed in the body of the apparatus so as toblock the light beam emitted by said other light source towards saidphotoresistor, the apparatus further comprising a loudspeaker responsivethrough a power stage to a relaxation oscillator having its outputfrequency switched by the lighting of the bulbs of one series oftell-tales.

1. Publicity or game apparatus, of the type adapted to display randomcombinations of illuminated tell-tales on a screen at the end of arelatively short operating time, which comprises essentially a bodyformed with a screen divided into a plurality of translucent surfaceportions each constituting a tell-tale, said tell-tales being groupedinto separate series, light sources disposed under said screen in saidbody and corresponding each to one of said tell-tales, circuit meanscomprising another light source and a photoresistor, control meansadapted to be inserted between said other light source and saidphotoresistor for blocking the light beam emitted by the former towardsthe latter, a relay control circuit responsive to said photoresistorwhen said photoresistor is blocked by said control means, a time-lagrelay actuated by said last-named circuit and comprising a plurality offront contacts each associated with one of a plurality of assemblieseach comprising a noise generator connected to pulse shaping meansadapted to shape the pulses delivered by said generator, whereby saidfront contact can connect its respective pulse shaping means with aseparate divider associated with a corresponding decoder upon actuationof said relay, each decoder controlling the lighting of the respectivelight sources associated with a given series of telltales, said time-lagrelay at the end of its timing interval deactivating said front contactswhereby the last illuminated tell-tale in each series remainsilluminated.
 2. Publicity or game apparatus as set forth in claim 1,wherein the switching sequence applied to said tell-tales are controlledby introducing said control means comprising a suitable card into a slotformed in the body of the apparatus so as to block the light beamemitted by said other light source towards said photoresistor. 3.Publicity or game apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein theswitching sequence applied to said tell-tales are controlled byinserting said control means consisting of a suitable card into a slotformed in the body of the apparatus so as to block the light beamemitted by said other light source towards said photoresistor, theapparatus further comprising a loudspeaker responsive through a powerstage to a relaxation oscillator having its output frequency switched bythe lighting of the bulbs of one series of tell-tales.